JAN MAGNUSSEN TO CONTEST THE ‘SUPER SEBRING’ DOUBLE

For Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen, the weekend ahead at Sebring International Raceway will be a double endurance test as he contests both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1,000 Miles of Sebring in one weekend.

Coming into the Sebring weekend, Magnussen and his No. 3 Corvette Racing teammate Antonio Garcia will be looking to repeat their GTLM class-winning performances from 2017, 2015 and 2009.

In addition to the three Sebring 12 Hour wins with Antonio Garcia, Magnussen has won another two times at the bumpy enduro, taking victory for Corvette Racing in 2008 and 2006.

But, Saturday’s 12-hour classic is not the only race the Danish-Spanish duo will be tackling during the weekend.

This year, Sebring International Raceway is also hosting the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1000 Miles of Sebring as part of a Super Sebring weekend.

Magnussen and Garcia will contest the LM GTE Pro class in the No. 64 Corvette C7.R. This will be the pair’s second appearance in the 2018-2019 WEC Super Season after finishing fourth in class at Le Mans back in June.

Mike Rockenfeller will be joining Magnussen and Garcia in both the No. 3 IMSA machine and the No. 63 WEC Corvette during the weekend. ‘Rocky’ helped propel the duo to the top step of the podium in the 2017 Sebring 12 Hour victory, as well as joining them for Daytona for the last four years.

The first FIA WEC practice of the weekend takes place Wednesday 13 March at 3 PM Eastern. The first IMSA session follows on Thursday 14 March at 10:45 AM.

Jan Magnussen Q&A

Q: You’ve competed in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring every year since 1999. What is it about this particular track that makes it such a difficult and unique race?

A: “Sebring, in some ways, is harder than Daytona. It’s a shorter race, but it’s so much more physical. Daytona is really a very smooth track, mentally, it’s tough, but physically it has nothing on the bumps of Sebring. The bumps are so hard on your body, and they’re so hard on the car that to survive 12 hours is a huge accomplishment.”

Q: How much of a challenge will it be to take on two races at Sebring in the same weekend with you and the Corvette Racing team taking part in the FIA WEC Sebring 1000 on Friday?

A: “I’ve never done two separate endurance races in the same weekend, so it will definitely be a new challenge. Luckily, we have some time between the races to recover from the Sebring 1000 before we start the 12 Hour.
“But I’m really excited to go up against the best GT teams in IMSA and the WEC in the same weekend. Our Corvette Racing guys have been working hard to get the No. 3 and No. 63 C7.Rs race-ready and I think we can take the fight to the front in both races.”

Q: In the championship fight, how important is a good result here?

A: “Obviously a sixth-place finish wasn’t what we wanted from Daytona. It puts us a little bit behind in going for our third title in three years, but there’s still a long season ahead. The IMSA GTLM class is so competitive that every weekend any car can win, and we want that win at Sebring.
“It would be my sixth win at Sebring, and it would help solidify our position as championship contenders early in the season. Plus, after not winning a race last year, I think everyone on the No. 3 Corvette Racing team is itching to be back in victory lane!”